Thursday, March 08, 2007

Vertical Magic and the Magic of Verticality (12.06.10)

The miracles of Jesus Christ reveal the secret of the influence exercised by individuals for the universal, and by the universal for the indiviudual. --Valentin Tomberg

According to Tomberg, the seven miracles recorded in the Gospel of John "represent the healing of the seven principal infirmities of human nature in both individuals and groups." As such, they are "not just miracles," but "signs of the future spiritual and bodily healing processes within the human organism, which is sick as a consequence of the fall of humanity."

Joan made a very truthy point when she commented that she had never gone in for "the whole 'seeking after miracles' obsession." However, like all Coons, she has "seen and experienced them," and while she doesn't "dwell on this topic as central to my faith," she observes that "you only get good results when you center on the Good. Center on the wanted results and you get bupkis."

Sista' Dilys expanded upon this, writing that the realm of the miraculous cannot function "without corruption outside of the protection of a Vertically-revealed tradition, and indeed can't be plucked cleanly out of the tradition to carry away for idiosyncratic power. As Joan says, miracles are often only semi-conscious side effects of a fervent consistent illuminated devotion to the Good, the willing citizenship in what Jesus calls the kingdom of God."

Three statements come immediately to mind: 1) The kingdom of God is within [or among] you, 2) Seek ye first the kingdom, and 3) from the Gospel of Thomas, The Father's kingdom is spread all over the world, but people cannot see it. I will try to touch on these three points below, if not today, then later, as we continue this discussion.

Another way of saying this is that there is an "upper vertical" magic, so to speak, and a lower vertical magic. This is indeed a key point, for now that I think about it, my life only became a more or less non-stop magic show when I ceased living for myself and undertook the task of aligning myself with a greater reality. This is not to in any way claim that my life is extraordinary. Rather, as several people pointed put yesterday, signs and wonders are happening all the time -- i.e., the Father's kingdom is spread all over the world -- but the interventions are so subtle that we may underlook them, so to speak. We may also fail to notice them because we only live in one reality, and cannot see the other reality that "might have been" in the absence of the vertical influence.

Of course, it's almost too corny to point out, but this is the great spiritual lesson of It's a Wonderful Life, and why the film is so beloved. Here is an example of a man who spends his life selflessly aligning himself with the universal on behalf of the individual, at great personal cost. However, in his case, he is shown what might have been had he spent his life pursuing the narrow agenda of his self-interested ego.

Another way of saying it is that George is granted the boon of a clear vision of all the miracles and magic that had occurred in his life as a result of unselfishly aligning himself with the Good. And realizing this is the greatest miracle of all, for with this realization, the magic that had always been operating in his life bursts upon him like a sudden downpour of grace. What a tragic waste of life to miss the magic that is happening all the time, for this magic is precisely what nourishes the soul and feeds the "second birth."

The same lesson is present in Dickens' Christmas Carol, in which Scrooge is first given a vision of the forces that went into exiling him from the greater reality and enclosing him in the narrow world of his bitter and envious ego. Envy and entitlement are literally forms of "reverse magic," in that they will spoil whatever they acquire. Envy may or may not help you get what you think you want, but it will also prevent you from enjoying it once you have it.

This lower vertical magic forms the basis of the leftist agenda, which is why they only become more bitter upon getting what they want. The bitterness of the left has not remitted one iota since prevailing in last November's election, because envy is an addictive way of life for them. Try listening to Randi Rhodes for five seconds. In the words of the immortal Big Joe Turner, "I believe to my soul you a devil in nylon hose." Or possibIy the great Junior Brown: "she's just venom wearin' denim, she's a copperheaded queen." I once heard Alan Watts refer to seagulls as "winged hunger." Dailykos must be "digital envy."

This is why the civil rights movement only became a perpetually angry and bitter crusade once it achieved its main goals and should have closed up shop. Indeed, this is how a moral giant such as Martin Luther King transmogrifies before our eyes into grotesque lower vertical beings such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Likewise, it explains how the feminist movement began cranking out creepy hybrid femen such as Hillary Clinton or Gloria Allred or Maureen Dowd after it was no longer necessary. (In fact, if the downward trend continues, there's no telling how low feminism will sink). And it explains the moral monsters of CAIR, a group that is completely unnecessary except to advance a truly diabolical lower vertical agenda. But all of these diverse beings have "common cause" in aligning themselves with the false universal of "coerced" or "Faustian magic."

According to Frithof Schuon, a miracle represents "an interference of the marvellous in the sensory realm." In itself, there is "nothing mysterious or problematical about it." In fact, if you consider the structure of reality, miracles cannot not occur, since the vertical cannot not be, and the vertical takes ontological precedence over the horizontal (i.e., the vertical could never have come from the horizontal). In hermetic terms, the subtle rules the dense, and the the deeper the effect, the higher the cause. The highest cause being God, aligning ourselves with this cause should, so to speak, lift us out of the closed circle of horizontality and manifest in our own lives in terms of the "subtle ruling the dense."

Now, this is not to say that the dense -- the horizontal -- can be eliminated. We are not angels, which is to say purely vertical beings. But it does mean that we can do our part to reverse the fall and restore the priority of the vertical over the horizontal. Obviously, if everyone did this -- individuals working on behalf of the universal -- we would have "heaven on earth." On the other hand, "hell on earth" is the leftist agenda of the individual being forced to work on behalf of the (false) universal. What is today, only March 8th? Most of us are still slaving away for the collective, as tax freedom day does not occur until some point in late April, when we have worked off our debt to the collective. But at least we are not Sweden, where the shackles aren't released until August.

Now, as Schuon points out, a miracle is only "supernatural" on the earthly scale, but "natural" on the cosmic scale. Furthermore, "the purpose of the miraculous phenomenon is the same as that of the Revelation which it accompanies or as a result of which, or in the shadow of which, it is produced: to elicit or to confirm faith." There are two central miracles, one "supernaturally natural," the other "naturally supernatural." Existence itself is a supernaturally natural lesson, what with its gratuitous truth and beauty coursing through its every artery as a result of being infused with the supernatural logos.

This is why the first miracle recorded in Genesis is the archetype of all others, for as our Unknown Friend says, creation ex nihilo, or out of nothing, "is the highest possible expression of magic, namely divine and cosmic magic." This is why the primordial act of creation was not so much a bang as a blossoming seed. As he says, this is "not too difficult to imagine, because each little acorn is such a 'constructive bomb' and the oak is only the visible result of the slow 'explosion' -- or blossoming out -- of this 'bomb.'" What is a butterfly but an exploded caterpillar -- or in our case, a buddhafly catarpultered out of a christalis c-coon?

Schuon points out that "the miraculous is that which is due to a direct, thus vertical intervention of a heavenly Power, and not to a horizontal progression of causality. If one extends the notion of 'nature' to all that exists, miracles too are 'natural,' but in that case words would become meaningless, as it would then be impossible to make the essential distinction between blind or unconscious causes and the supra-conscious Cause, the source of all consciousness and of all power. Scientists confuse the miraculous with the irrational and the arbitrary" (emphasis mine).

A couple of days ago we spoke of the "husk" and "kernel." The husk is there to protect the kernel, but it is possible that we can come to identify with the husk, thus defeating its purpose -- and the purpose of our lives -- by arresting the "blossoming explosion" of our true self. This blossoming -- once you begin to experience it -- is the "personal magic" that mirrors the magic of creation itsoph -- of God's unfolding, creative self-revelation. The kernel, since it is internally related to the whole, seems miraculously able to draw the people and materials it requires in order to fulfill its mission. Or as a rabbinical expression puts it, "God spends most of his time arranging meetings and marriages."

But again, this blossoming cannot be "self-willed" any more than you can will a carrot to grow, for "God gives the increase." All organic growth -- which is to say internally related change directed toward a telos -- is magic. It is the everyday magic of watching an infant change from day to day, or even of writing this blog, if I may say so. For me -- especially for me -- I am always aware that this activity is miraculous when viewed in light of the alternative Bobs I might have become and narrowly averted. "There but for the grace of God," and all that. It's a wonderful life, but only if we stop to consider the alternatives.

More on miracles tomorrow, barring the absence of a miraculous vertical intervention.

There are strange things happening every dayI hear music up above my headFill me up with your wonderGive me my rapture today.

Let me contemplate the presence so divineLet me sing all day and never get tiredFill me up from your loving cupGive me my rapture today.

Won't you guide me through the dark night of the soulThat I may better understand your wayLet me be just and worthy to receiveAll the blessings of the Lord into my life.

Let me purify my thoughts and words and deedsThat I may be a vehicle for theeLet me hold to the truth in the darkest hourLet me sing to the glory of the Lord.Give me my rapture today. --Van Morrison, Give Me My Rapture

"What is today, only March 8th? Most of us are still slaving away for the collective, as tax freedom day does not occur until some point in late April, when we have worked off our debt to the collective.

March 8th is International Women's Day and in this address made last year by President and First Lady Bush we glimpse the collective force for Good backed by our tax dollars.

Can we, as a nation counter the downward turn? As Bob says: It'll be a nail biter.

Another lesser known, great Jimmy Stewart movie in the same vein: Harvey. He could see the rabbit and people were attracted to him and his ‘nature’ and eventually they too could ‘see’ it. Reminds me too of the movie Being There. How others were ‘drawn’ to the innocent (unspoiled) nature of the central character’s goodness.I understand ‘Harvey’ was one of Jimmy’s favorites.AWonderful Life seemed to parallel his own life in that he had a distinguished military career – made Brigadier General, I believe – another ‘service’ you might say which he seemed to desire no attention for at all.

Oh, oh. I found it. I was looking for what makes some teaching from Christians seem so.. manipulative and fearful, perhaps? Especially anything regarding 'the occult'. It is Fear of Deception. It seems like for many faith simply melts away and is replaced by fear when entering unfamiliar territory. Nevermind, "This same anointing which teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie..."

For instance, as soon as some folks hear 'magic' (Think, LOTR, Harry Potter, or Bob's Post) they immediately freak out, because they are afraid they will be deceived. Where's the helmet of salvation, shield of faith? Shield of fear? Doesn't exist. Helmet of only what's literally written in the Bible? Never heard of it...

My question would be for Bob et al, what prevents people from seeing this mind parasite/spirit for what it is? Any ideas?

I've also noticed that these folks give more credence to the power of the enemy than he could ever earn or deserve. And in this way, create the illusion of more power... how they assist him! Sad.

Almost like a vertical Dinesh D'souza...!

(Which is to say, Dinesh treats the Left as though it is our horizontal enemy, when in fact it is our vertical enemy. Our horizontal enemy (Iran, Jihadis, etc) could not be more clear...)

Case in point- the left engages in spiritual warfare of a sort on everyone-- as you pointed out, Bob, envy.

Apologies if my comments of late have been somewhat scattered; I'm wrestling with the words of Derek Prince and his unspoken fears. There's a lot good to the book They Shall Expel Demons but it also appears to be clouded by some false assumptions.

“This is why the primordial act of creation was not so much a bang as a blossoming seed…slow 'explosion'”

Lately I’ve been trying to retrace my steps – the steps or rather the moment of my recent awakening. I keep arriving at and using the term ‘bungee’ because it seems more like a ‘curve event’ or a parabola – instead of say a quick burst of ‘light’. It seems the awakening started from zero intensity and accelerated in a curve upward from there. But also seemed it had a definite beginning – a point - when the change in direction finally happened- it began at an apex or rather the opposite of an apex – the bottom of the bungee. The closer I look, the smaller this beginning ‘point’ gets and harder to nail down to a particular thing that happened to me. Theoretically I suppose there may be no actual singular point when the direction changed.

Dr Bob says: “It is the everyday magic of watching an infant change from day to day”

‘Everyday’ magic can be taken two ways here: Everyday as ‘ordinary’ and everyday as in ‘every single day’. I believe you mean both. My son is 13 now and I have to say in addition to watching all the changes taking place (wink) is the indescribable pleasure of watching him grow mentally. It literally is a daily change. And I am constantly trying to adapt to it. One thing particularly pleasurable is to see the evolution of our conversations. From the first most basic exchange yes-no conversations when he was a wee laddie to the now extended, quite deep discussions. That evolution accelerated in an upward curve also.

Ricky - I've always loved "Harvey." They just don't seem to make many actors like Jimmy Stewart these days. A shame, really; who is a woman my age supposed to sigh over? Cruise, Dicaprio or Depp? Hardly.

River,

I had a friend in high school who was raised Catholic, and after she graduated became a "born-again" Christian. After this change of direction, she was actively fearful of so many things (this was a mindset I personally encountered as well, and one of the many reasons I have turned away from churches in general). She hated going to the mall, because she could "feel the evil" emanting from many of the shops. She became very concerned about witches and the new age movement. I'm not talking about sensible reservations on these issues - I think Hot Topic speaks for itself (though this was pre-Hot Topic), and I have personally known wiccans and new agers, and while they certainly have/ espouse some ideas which one should be wary of, her fear was beyond reasonable - it had become a personal fear, almost a phobia; it was strongly affecting her ability to function on a daily basis.

This mind parasite was planted by and fed by her participation in a Bible study group. The problem here, IMHO, was that they were so focused on the evils in the world, both real and imagined (I had a youth group that spent several weeks teaching us that Mormons were satanists, but I sure didn't learn much about the Bible, let alone Truth), that all they see is evil. They lose sight of the miracles, and in my experience tend to be very unhappy because they are always worried. They fear everything, but most especially they fear themselves; these groups have a vested interest in keeping it that way.

Juliec,I know what you mean. Been catching up a lot lately on all those old movies – the classics – some I’d always heard about but had never seen. Anyway, I really miss the classy women. The Bacalls and Bergmans. No contemporary, classy actresses come to mind – maybe Reese Witherspoon – she was great in ‘Walk the Line'. Help me out here – any others?

River - There's a passage in the Bible where someone is asking God to put the truth before his face. It sounded like a good idea to me, and I've done the same. It's amazing how you begin to see the truth when you go looking for it and really want to KNOW the truth rather than always trying to wrap yourself in a cocoon of comfortable illusion - or as the left seems to think, if you lie about something, or deceive yourself and others about something long enough it becomes true.

Bob, now I shall have to go and meditate on the seven miracles in a whole new way. I've been wanting some new spiritual homework, and that seems just the right thing for now. Thanks!

****

River, random thoughts follow:

First, if someone's looking for trouble, they find it everywhere. If they're looking for Beauty, it's overwhelmingly "what a wonderful world!" all around them.

Second, there must be hundreds of scenarios of folks I encountered like Julie's friend. Way too much credit and attention given to the not-Good. Woe to the childish leaders who led many youngsters down that silly and dangerous path! The attraction of it feeds on itself until it grows out of proportion. (A good old preacher used to say to such, "See a devil? Don't talk to it! Shoot it and get on with your day!")

Hmmm...

The Fear of Deception, as you put it, is another mind parasite that plays diabolically with the other children. But it's not as bad as the fear of having been deceived by the Cosmos.

I think, because of the severe depression I once experienced long ago, that I'd learned, wait... now I know that my mind cannot ultimately "save" me. Centering on the Good, the Pure, the Love is what casts out all irrational fears and their parasitic henchmen.

When I found myself in the pit of that fear--"am I just nuts? is this whole thing even real? where is this road taking me?"-- when I couldn't put together a single coherent encouragement to my own soul, a still, small snippet from Job whispered to my tormented mind, "though He betray me, yet will I trust Him."

It was such an "end" of myself, an emptying revelation of my inability to get everything correct. I just sort of agreed with the tormentor and stole its power away. I said, "could be. yep. maybe i am deceived, but there's still something more True than my ability to know it or control it, and i have to hold onto that un-nameable Something, so fine. okay then. you're right, mr. parasite. but it changes nothing."

But that moment actually changed everything. From then on, I was a believer in the Gospel of Jazz. It may get a bit crazy, but the foundation is still there, under all the loose jammin' and upstagin', spotlight-hoggin' parasites of the mind, the foundation is cool, and like Sonny Bono said, "the beat goes on."

:)

(Must be a day for rambling thoughts. You'd ramble, too, if you worked in a place known and touted as "weird".)

I once knew someone who was into the New Age (shading off into witchcraft), and she and some of her circle seemed to become very paranoid after a while. I think it had something to do with the fact that they were doing ceremonies and casting spells on other people; maybe they started to wonder if anyone was doing the same to them! They creeped themselves out to the point where they creeped me out too, and I finally stopped associating with them...

I think some of the problems of those like juliec's friend is a perverted defense mechanism.

To someone who's truly internalized God's law, one of the best things for them to hear is "It's not about the rules."

One the other hand, to somebody who has not, "It's not about the rules" is one of the worst things you can tell them.

When we're starting out spiritually, we need guidance, and do's and don't's like the commandments are very helpful, for as we follow them, we eventually internalize what they really mean.

To somebody who still wants to steal way deep down but on another level wants to follow God, "Do Not Steal" becomes a rule to which they must rigidly cling.

Some eventually can let go of the rigity as they find they simply don't want to steal anymore. Others mistakenly see their rigid clinging to the truth as the actual manifestation of that Truth. Hence the danger.

To those who are at the stage where they are letting go of their desire for "something for nothing" an aversion to Satan floating through the mall may actually be okay. However, God is anything but rigid, so when it's time for them to relax a bit they find themselves nevertheless clinging to paranoia, they are worshipping fear instead of God.

I describe this process as morphing into Cauphas, but that would take a long time to explain.

Joan: I think that is the struggle of intellect. I have always been highly intelligent, which gives one to the impression that one can know everything -- which ultimately leads to the struggle with that particular demon/parasite -- the one that keeps trying to tell you that you're deceiving yourself, striving to get you to base your faith solely on known facts when you have known it far deeper. It's a nasty one-- it doesn't bother with the rest of your body, it just starts swingin' at your head.

It likes to, it seems, take hold of unforgiveness between you and other folks - trying to use it as proof perhaps you're being deceived. It also likes to provoke feelings that seem to contradict what you'd expect-- but again, it is merely trying to deceive.

I guess the Lord is calling me to take hold of my faith even deeper; truth even deeper, but I have reservations. Whatever this thing is, it's like some kind of gatekeeper, got woken up recently. I can trace where it probably originally got in --

The antidote is, I think, as the three young men at the furnace, "God will deliver us, but even if we die, we will praise God."

by the way, I think my reservations with Derek Prince are likely more a result of the conflict with this parasite/demon than with what he actually wrote.

Well, like those who know say, it is an inner warfare... its the essence of learning, sport and spirituality.

the bunnies - I see your point, but I think perhaps you are missing mine. The group I was referring to had a member who bragged about acts of road rage against drivers who sported a darwin fish on their bumpers; nobody called him on it.

This wasn't about the learning and living the rules. This was about spreading paranoia and fear, both about the exterior world and their inner lives. Sins were discussed, magnified, and most importantly feared. One girl was almost in tears when she revealed that she worried she might be fornicating when the Rapture comes (still makes me giggle). Instead of directing the conversation to learning about healthy relationships and why they are important, and encouraging her to make better choices in her life, the conversation turned to worries about the end of the world, and their certainty it would happen at any moment.

In the external realm, they focused on the growing menace of the new age movement, the danger of unicorns, and these days, as I've seen, the evils of Harry Potter.

Instead of focusing on Truth, Beauty, and Goodness they focus on all of the permutations of evil, therefore guaranteeing that they will see it everywhere and in everything.

River, I suspect in general (not a personal diagnosis) that the "fear of deception" is associated with a need to engage the extreme psychological maturity that Keats called negative capability, which more simply is a certain uncertainty, with some faith in oneself and Life that the truth will eventually become clear.Negative Capability, that is when man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts without any irritable reaching after fact & reason.

To the extent that such fear is associated with The Enthusiastic-Sect Religious Approach, T.E-S.R.A demands that its adherents Let Not this Hour Pass; that the seeker commit himself at the altar now, while the music continues to play; that any delay is the temptation of the evil one.

But if a different tempo of life and faith and self-questioning examination is adopted, then one is not afraid of deception. As an Orthodox priest said to a twitchy seeker: "The matter is indeed urgent. But there is no hurry."

As in sales, any effort to stampede someone into agreement is suspect. No one can be deceived as he becomes accustomed to consult his best judgment, rather than contracting out that job. Then belief and act issue out of the powerful magnetism of desire and love, not because one must reflexively barricade his weak and vulnerable self into a refuge from Marauding Error.

As a follow up to the Bill Evans post, reader Johan of Sweden -- a real live Swedish Coon -- passed along this You Tube clip of Evans playing with Swedish chanteuse Monica Zetterlund. Wild stuff. In a low-key Swedish way.

I am very curious about what my fellow Coons might think about Scott Walker. One Sunday morning about 10 years ago, I was idly browsing in my favorite record store, when the clerk put on a new Scott Walker compilation. I'd heard the name -- knew that he had a devoted cult following -- but had never heard him before, partly because his records weren't even released in the US (even though he's American).

Anyway, I was totally riveted and became an instant member of the cult. I have tried to turn other people on to him -- including Mrs. G. -- with zero success.

Here is a poor quality You Tube clip of one of my favorite songs of his. I crank it up on Dupree's hi fi when I really need to pull myself together -- you know, when I need a little natural energy boost, so to speak. Most of you will probably be repelled, but I'm curious if it resonates with anyone. I think you'll agree that there's nothing else quite like it: Frank Sinatra meets Captain Beefheart, or the Velvet Underground.

Dilys: Interestingly, most of the demons who were 'driven out immediately' come back... and have to be repeatedly expelled. Suggesting that while the expulsion can do some good, it is better to be in accordance with God, which gives those things no where to live.

Which as it turns out, is what Prince ends up advocating.

He experienced dealing with some extreme cases where the people had 'severe unintegrated gaps' if you will. Most of these people in addition to their problem(s) may have a spirit of some kind harassing them.

But in the end, the process of sanctification is really the goal; recall that Jesus warns about driving them out saying that 'the house will be clean and swept, and empty, he will return...'

In other words, someone else better be living there, or the door better be locked tight.

Impatience with these matters could cause '7 demons more wicked' to take residence.

I liked Scott Walker first time I heard "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More". Thought his voice very well suited to the wall-of-sound thing.

And it fits his recent stuff, too, the Schoenberg-like, German cabaret w/electronica sounding stuff. I can only listen to it at select times, however, because it tends to give my chakras a reverse spin.

Yes, I cannot even listen to his recent albums. The first time I heard Tilt, I literally had an anxiety attack. Extremely powerful stuff. It was like visting the spiritual dimension that produced the Holocaust.

I don't know if he resonates with me, but he's hilarious. "Jackie" reminds me of a Split Enz song, "Late Last Night," which has a similar, dreamy storyline flow to it; I love to sing along with it, because it's just so odd and fun.

The second song was vaguely familiar - reminded me more of Neil Diamond, who my mother absolutely adored until she saw him perform (too much cognitive dissonance, I think she expected a tall "Brawny" type guy). I had most of Neil's songs from a couple of albums memorized by the age of 7 or 8.

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Location: Floating in His Cloud-Hidden Bobservatory, Inside the Centers for Spiritual Disease Control and Pretension, Tonga

Who?! spirals down the celestial firepole on wings of slack, seizes the wheel of the cosmic bus, and embarks upin a bewilderness adventure of higher nondoodling? Who, haloed be his gnome, loiters on the threshold of the transdimensional doorway, looking for handouts from Petey? Who, with his doppelgägster and testy snideprick, Cousin Dupree, wields the pliers and blowtorch of fine insultainment for the ridicure of assouls? Who is the gentleman loaffeur who yoinks the sword from the stoned philosopher and shoves it in the breadbasket of metaphysical ignorance and tenure? Whose New Testavus for the Restavus blows the locked doors of the empyrean off their rusty old hinges and sheds a beam of intense darkness on the world enigma? Who is the Biggest Fakir of the Vertical Church of God Knows What, channeling the roaring torrent of 〇 into the feeble stream of cyberspace? Who is the masked pandit who lobs the first water balloon out the motel window at the annual Raccoon convention? Shut your mouth! But I'm talkin' about bʘb! Then we can dig it!